The present invention relates to a device for the transportation, of injured, disabled, or aged or infirm pets, or for distances further than the pet can feasibly travel. The present invention is also useful for veterinary use, office use, and use at pet shows and the like.
The fondness of people for pets is well known and almost legendary. One of the favorite past times of pet owners is to walk their dogs or other animals as a means of not only exercising themselves, but exercising their pets and keeping both healthy. However, a problem arises when their pets, such as a dog, a cat, or other domesticated or undomesticated animal is no longer able to take walks with their owner, or travel as far as owner wants to walk, jog, or bike.
Pets can become unable to walk with their owners either temporarily, semi-permanently, or permanently. An example of a temporary lapse in the ability to walk could be, for example, if a dog injures its legs, particularly its rear legs, and can no longer walk while the legs heal. A semi-permanent type of injury would be hip dysplasia or arthritis of the hip, particularly in dogs. When this type injury flares up it may prohibit the dog from walking. Further, at times the owner may want to walk, jog, or bike further than pet can feasibly travel so the owner could cart the pet.
A very common situation which occurs is when the pet becomes aged or infirm and simply is no longer able to walk with its owners while in its advancing years. An example of this could be a pet with congestive heart failure who can walk around a few steps in the home with its owner so it is able to sit by its owner, for example, in the evenings, but simply can no longer take long walks. Such a pet, while it may live for many years, simply becomes demoralized when no longer able to walk with its owners. Other types of injuries, such as an amputation, may permanently prevent a pet from walking.
Many pet owners attempt to solve the problem of transporting pets under such conditions by using the commonly known human baby buggy, and attempting to place the pet on the seat intended for the baby. However, the human baby buggy is simply not designed for transporting pets. Humans need to be transported more or less in a vertical position, i.e., the baby's hips will fit on a seat, while the torso, arms, and head of the baby are vertical, and the legs hang downwardly.
When it is attempted to place a pet on the baby buggy seat, it tends to fall through the leg openings. In addition there is not sufficient space for the pet to rest its hind quarters comfortably. Therefore, attempting to use a baby buggy for a pet is not a satisfactory solution to the problem in the art.
A children's cart or buggy which is available for hiking/jogging also will not work because the seat slopes backward with a drop down for the child's feet. This presents its own set of problems for the pet.
Another attempted solution is to strap a pair of wheels to a pet, for example, to a dog about its hind quarters if it is the rear legs of the dog that have become disabled, so that the pet can have mobility with its front legs, while the wheeled assembly supports the rear of the dog. However, these solutions have not been entirely satisfactory as they are unstable, and they are hard for the pet to use while going up and down steps or over curbs, etc. Therefore, those skilled in the art have continued to search for a better solution.
Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a pet buggy for the transportation of injured, disabled, or aged and infirm pets.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for the transportation of injured, disabled, or aged and infirm pets which can be pushed or pulled by the pet's owner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pet buggy which will allow a pet to travel for as long as the owner wants to walk, bike, or jog even though the pet normally may not be able to go such a distance.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a pet buggy of the foregoing nature which provides a flat surface on which a pet may lie while being transported.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the specification and drawings of the present provisional application.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and is capable of being practiced or carried out in various ways within the scope of the claims. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description, and not of limitation.